U.S. 2 crash kills one man and injures another

SNOHOMISH — A two-vehicle crash on U.S. 2 Monday morning killed one man and sent another to the hospital.

The collision occurred when a pickup truck crossed the center line and collided with a car shortly after 5 a.m. between Bickford Avenue and Highway 9, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Wayne Shkurhan, 53, died at the scene, according to an accident memo. The Snohomish area man was driving a 2006 Toyota Scion, trooper Keith Leary said.

The driver of the 2001 Ford F-250 pickup was identified as an Arlington man, 37. He was taken to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. His injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

Troopers believe that the pickup truck was eastbound when it crossed the center line and struck the Toyota.

“The circumstances why the truck crossed over the center line are still being investigated,” Leary said.

Crash investigators were trying to piece together a complex scene. Debris was scattered across the highway.

Both vehicles rolled. The stretch of highway affected by the crash included two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane with wide shoulders and guard rails on each side. The crash occurred about a third of a mile east of the new Bickford Avenue overpass.

Troopers do not believe that the new overpass was a factor in the crash.

The State Patrol is asking any witnesses to the collision to call 360-654-1204.

There are no indications that drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision, Leary said.

It was dark with frost in places near where the collision occurred.

Traffic was detoured for almost five hours.

Since 1999, there have been 69 deaths along U.S. 2 between Everett and the summit at Stevens Pass. That includes 61 fatal accidents with at least 35 caused by drivers crossing the centerline.

During that time, there have been nearly 900 collisions that resulted in roughly 1,600 injuries, according to state statistics.

Monday’s crash also was the first fatal collision on Snohomish County highways since Oct. 23, Leary said